Flex That Muscle! 10 Best Food Sources for Iron

Check out which foods are rich in iron, plus recipes that help you include it in your diet.

Lifting weights isn't the only way to build muscle. A diet rich in iron can help you build and maintain a strong physique. Check out which foods are rich in the nutrient, plus recipes that help you include them in your diet. Looking for more powerhouse foods? See the top 10 food sources of vitamin C and the top 10 food sources of beta carotene.

The Health Benefits of Iron

The Health Benefits of Iron

Iron is essential for building healthy muscles and maintaining healthy blood. It can be a challenge to get as much iron you need in a day. Knowing which foods contain the most amount of that nutrient can make the task easier. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for iron is 18 mg for adult women, and 8 mg for men. Here are the top 10 food sources of iron, according to the USDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans. It's worth noting that vitamin C helps your body absorb iron from food.

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Clams

Clams

Surprise! Clams take the top prize for providing the most iron. Three ounces of the shellfish provide 23.8 mg of iron and 126 calories. Whether you like them raw on the half shell or cooked in your clam chowder, clams are the surprising king of the superfoods. They also are a top source of potassium and vitamin B12.

The Health Benefits of Iron

Iron is essential for building healthy muscles and maintaining healthy blood. It can be a challenge to get as much iron you need in a day. Knowing which foods contain the most amount of that nutrient can make the task easier. The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for iron is 18 mg for adult women, and 8 mg for men. Here are the top 10 food sources of iron, according to the USDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans. It's worth noting that vitamin C helps your body absorb iron from food.

Andrew Olney/Getty Images

2Of11

Clams

Surprise! Clams take the top prize for providing the most iron. Three ounces of the shellfish provide 23.8 mg of iron and 126 calories. Whether you like them raw on the half shell or cooked in your clam chowder, clams are the surprising king of the superfoods. They also are a top source of potassium and vitamin B12.

Cereal

This includes cold and hot ready-to-eat cereals. The amount of iron you can get from cold cereals ranges from 1.8 to 21.1 mg, but it's typically lower for hot cereals (4.9 to 8.1 mg), so check those labels. Ready-to-eat fortified cereals are also often a good source of calcium.

Oysters

Three ounces of wild oysters contain 10.2 mg of iron and 116 calories. A true superfood, oysters are also a top source of vitamin B12. Wild oysters can have high amounts of contaminants, and may be harvested using destructive methods, according to Environmental Defense Fund's Seafood Selector, so stick with farmed Pacific or edible (a.k.a. European) oysters.

Soybeans

A half cup of cooked soybeans contains 4.4 mg of iron and 149 calories. Add them to a salad, toss them in a pasta, or eat them out of hand. Parents monitoring their children's health, as well as anyone concerned about intake of estrogen, should be aware that soy contains plant estrogens that may cause health problems in high doses.